Popes' palace

Avignon, once the centre of the Catholic church. The bridge at Avignon built by those ubiquitous and industrious Romans was once 23 spans long and linked the banks of the R. Rhone via a large central island. Hence the old French song;  "sous le pont d'Avignon, on y danser" modern versions have one dancing "sur (on) le pont" but I am reliably informed it refers to fetes and festivals occurring on the island and under the bridge. Over hundreds of years repeated floods have reduced the bridge to its current 4 spans.